


Eventuality of Merging Constellations

by cdrlizziebean



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-04-14 21:55:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4581513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cdrlizziebean/pseuds/cdrlizziebean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Mass Effect AU:<br/>Jayce Shepard, the first human spectre, the savior of the galaxy, is believed dead, leaving behind his sister Wren, and his faithful crew.</p><p>Agrotech specialist, Wren Shepard, is left to cope with the loss of her brother while the universe tries not to destroy itself. She finds solace and friendship with Commander Kaidan Alenko—and perhaps something more, before her world is turned upside down once again. Jayce Shepard isn’t dead and it feels like the end of the universe as we know it.</p><p>Love, loss, and hope: this is a Mass Effect AU covering the events after ME1 to ME3. Timeline, side characters, and other small parts of story have been changed to include a Shepard sibling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Funeral

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friend, Laura (liftgrenades on tumblr), for reading this story as I write it because otherwise I would not have any motivation to write it. This is the first long fic I've written since MEBB and it's like 3 times longer than one of those...at least it will be when I finish.
> 
> Thanks also to you for reading this. It makes me feel good when people read my stuff. Let me know if you like it or not with comments, kudos, or taking to me on tumblr (inquisitorlizziebean). Thank you.
> 
> I'll try my damnedest to keep up to date with this project, and get you to the real reason it's rated mature--smut--as soon as I can. *wink*

It was a rainy Sunday on Mindoir. Three dozen people surrounded an empty coffin while holo-cameras buzzed overhead, broadcasting the funeral. The first human spectre was dead, gone in a blaze of glory, and the universe needed to see.

The whole of the Normandy crew huddled awkwardly around the casket. Garris Vakarian gave his respects with a bowed head. Wrex followed suit, unsure what was custom. Jeff Moreau used the casket for support, trying not to cry. Liara stood between them with an umbrella gripped tightly between her fingers. Tali had pressed herself hard against the tree that loomed over the scene, her mask fogging up from her tears.

And then there was Kaidan Alenko standing with his shoulders back and rain dripping off the tip of his nose. He held the Alliance flag in his arms, folded tight and close to his chest. His intent was to protect the flag from the rain, but the longer he stood there, the more he thought it the last part of his friend and commander and held it closer.

Anderson continued to his rehearsed monologue speaking of Commander Jayce Shepard’s great accomplishments. Kaidan had been there when he practiced an hour before, parked across from the graveyard and stuttering over every line.

“Are you alright?” whispered a small voice, beside him. He blinked himself back to reality. The rain above him stopped, though he could still see the pattering of drops across the top of the casket. He turned to the voice.

There, gripping the handle of an umbrella that covered them both, was a young woman, her almond eyes trained on him. Her face was puffy, freckled, and red. Wisps of black hair fell out of her tight bun, sticking to her damp face. She had been crying, Kaidan could tell that, but it had been a while since the tears stained her cheeks.

“It’s not right for you to be rained on,” she continued. She adjusted her hands on the umbrella handle, making sure he was covered enough from the downpour. Rain spattered on the shoulder of her black coat. She sniffed, turning back to the casket. Her green eyes were clouded, and her hand shook as she held the umbrella.  
Kaidan opened his mouth to speak. His tongue felt dry, and thick. He hadn’t talked to anyone in a few days—a few months. The more he tried to talk to anyone the more he thought of how his best friend was dead…both of his best friends were dead. He closed his mouth and swallowed. 

“Lieutenant Alenko,” Anderson called. Kaidan’s head snapped up. “Will you please give Miss Shepard the flag, to thank her for her brother’s sacrifice….”

The woman turned back to him, sniffing even harder than before. She eyed the flag in his hands, and then glanced up at his face with a pressed smile.  
Surprised, he stammered incomplete words. She placed a shaking hand on his elbow, and he unfolded his arms like a blooming flower, presenting the flag to her. Cool air rushed against his chest where the flag once was.

She slid her hand down his arm and wrapped her cool fingers around the edge of the flag. She froze there, fingers unsteady.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Kaidan muttered. The words felt weird on his tongue. He couldn’t express everything he felt Commander Shepard’s sister deserved. He wanted to tell her that her brother was the greatest man he’d ever met—that if he could, he would have changed places with him at the end.

Tears reappeared in her eyes as she shook. “Thank you, Lieutenant,” she muttered, voice watery and distant.

The umbrella twisted from her fingers, and Kaidan jumped to grab it before it fell to the ground. She took the flag in both hands, body trembling.  
Soldiers in the distance lined themselves before them. They shot rifles one after the other, like a shattering heartbeat.

Sobbing, Miss Shepard collapsed into his arms and warmed the place on his chest again. Kaidan held the umbrella between them in one hand, and gently placed the other on her back.


	2. Limelight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear the chapters will get longer. x.x

“What was your brother like?”

“Huh?” Wren Shepard sat forward, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

“What was your brother like?” the reporter repeated.

Wren swallowed. She looked different on the holoscreen, shifting uncomfortably under the reporter’s gaze. She had a thick layer of makeup and processed touch ups, hazing out her freckles and any other imperfections. Her hair was layered and straight about her head, settling far past her shoulders.

“He was like a brother,” she responded coolly, shrugging.

A few soldiers in the rec room chuckled before turning back to what they were doing before. Kaidan watched the holoscreen intently, standing in the middle of the room. One of the soldiers joked that Kaidan had gotten himself a crush, but was instantly hushed by the rest of the room when Wren continued.

“Look, I don’t know what to say about him. He was my brother. We went through a lot together. He made sure I had a good life, and ended up being a hero to the galaxy. We didn’t talk much after he joined the Alliance. Mostly messages, but I know he always thought about me and my safety. I just wish he had thought more about his own.”

The rec room was eerily quiet as the special finished. He had stood and watched a sixty minute special on _In the Commander’s Memory: Wren Shepard Recalls_. It was dumb and overdramatic, and barely had Wren in it at all. But he had been mesmerized by her answers. How she handled the press. She was the opposite of her brother—which the special pointed out many times. It was the most he’d ever learned about her since he accidentally saw the picture of her and Jayce when they were kids. The only picture Jayce had of his sister.

Even drunk Jayce was tight lip about his family.

The holoscreen flashed a commercial for people to preorder the Jayce Shepard VI, and Kaidan slammed his fist down on the ping pong table. The soldiers still playing jumped, tsking as they reset the virtual game and began again. The holoball blipped through his head as it bounced back and forth once again.

He hated the Council. He hated the Citadel. He hated everything. As soon as he was able, he was going to get the hell of the Citadel. 


	3. Chance Meetings

It had been six months since the funeral. Six months of questions unanswered. Six months of going through Alliance regulated therapy. Six months of everyone drifting away. Kaidan hadn’t even seen Joker in at least three months.

Kaidan was still on the Citadel, but not for long. He was up for his last round of psych evaluations, and then he was home free. He had put in a request to help planetside instead of going back up in space in some other ship. Anderson had agreed but Udina didn’t want any unstable biotic anywhere near a mission until he was confirmed to, well, not be unstable. If Jayce had been there, he would have probably set the Ambassador’s desk on fire.

Kaidan chuckled into his glass of whiskey. He missed the hell out of his friends. He missed everything he had back on the Normandy. He hadn’t felt so much at home on a ship in years, and he knew he would never feel the same happiness on a ship again.

So here he was, sitting in the open air of the Citadel, contemplating the bottom of his glass while space pigeons aggressively chirped above him. Fuck space pigeons.

“Lieutenant? Lieutenant Alenko?” called a familiar voice. Kaidan looked up, head swimming with whiskey. His biotics would make sure the buzz would be gone in a few moments, but he enjoyed the sensation. He caught a woman waving at him from across the terrace. Her dark hair was intricately braided against her head. Her green eyes bright and her freckled cheeks a light pink. She was far from the puffy and red mess from the funeral, or the fake image the news made her out to be. _Wren Shepard._ He remembered reading an article about her that actually tried to talk about her.  _Wren Annabeth Shepard, 25, is the assistant director of Alternative Growth and Development at Agrotech and the sibling of the late Commander Jayce William Shepard._

He had remembered Jayce had let slip once or twice that he had a sister, but he had kept his family life quiet. _I was a colony kid. My little sister is the smartest person I know. She saved my ass once. That’s the only reason I’m here._ That was it. He stuffed the picture back under his bunk with a heavy sigh. Nothing more was said besides a quiet _you’d like my sister—you remind me of her_ after a mission.

Kaidan knew about Mindoir. Everyone knew about Mindoir. Hell, his funeral was held on Mindoir, but Kaidan hadn’t pressed it. He almost wished he had now. Maybe he would have stopped Jayce from his need to be the sacrificial hero. Maybe Jayce could have introduced him to Wren without a casket between them.

Wren whispered something to her companion who gave a short nod as she eyed Kaidan with interest. He looked back at his whiskey, knowing a blush was already creeping across his face.

She approached the table, stopping hesitantly across from him. He instantly stood; the buzz from his alcohol gone.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant,” she said, a smile spreading across her face as she tried not to laugh.

The way she said Lieutenant made his implant tingle. He almost hated to correct her. “It’s Commander now.”

“Oh!” Her eyebrows rose. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, ma’am”

“No, please, call me Wren.”

“Call me Kaidan, then.”

She gave a short nod and smiled. “Kaidan is a lovely name.” His name sounded better on her tongue than lieutenant.

Silence fell between them. Kaidan stared down at his empty glass of whiskey, unable to think of something to talk about besides her brother. They only had that in common.

“Do they have good drinks here?” Wren asked, motioning to his empty glass.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not bad for being on the Citadel.” She laughed. Jayce was right, he did like her. She sounded like honey tasted, and her smile made him feel like before Jayce died, before everything went to shit. “Would you like to join me for a drink?” Kaidan was surprised the question came out of his mouth. He hadn’t sat and had drinks with anyone since Jayce.

She cocked her head to the side, appraising the situation. There was a small scar running along the underside of her jaw line, invisible head on.  It cut across the constellation of freckles like a shooting star.  “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” She slid into the seat across from him.

“What would you like?” Kaidan asked, looking over his shoulder.

Wren shrugged. “Whatever you’re having.”

Kaidan motioned to the salarian waiter and requested two of their best whiskey, before sitting back down.

“Whiskey huh?” she mused, as the waiter returned with two glasses. “I didn’t peg you as a whiskey drinker.”

“No?”

“Not with how my brother talked about you. I would think you were a scotch man like him.” Her smile faded at the mention of her brother. Her eyes were suddenly distant and cold—looking the same as they had six months ago in the rain.

“No…he did like his scotch though.” Kaidan looked down at his glass again, unable to think up what to say to her. He bit his lip. “He talked to you about me?”

She shook her head, taking a large sip of whiskey. “No…yes…Well, he messaged me. He sent me weekly updates of all his misadventures,” she stated, never looking right at him. “I never responded enough. Sometimes I barely read them….I’m probably the…worst…person….”

He looked up to see her swirl the amber liquid in the glass before gulping it down in two smooth swallows. Whiskey ran across her chin and down her neck. Wren slammed the empty glass down on the table and gasped. Kaidan could see the tears in her eyes as she wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand.

“Are you-”

Wren waved her hand. “I’m fine. Just…I haven’t…I don’t try to think of him much, because it hurts, you know? I haven’t really talked to anyone about him either. Don’t have anyone to talk to him about I guess.”

Kaidan nodded. “I know the feeling.”

She smiled at him, eyes still shining with tears. “Did he ever crack open that bottle of scotch he kept in his locker? He stole that bottle from our uncle when he was fourteen.”

“Oh, yeah. The whole crew had a drink after saving the Citadel. It was _absolutely_ horrible.”

Wren laughed, leaning across the table. “God. Serves him right. He thought he was so cool with that bottle of scotch. Honestly the only reason he started drinking scotch was because of our uncle.” She sat back again. “Much prefer that whiskey.”

Kaidan chuckled, taking a sip of his.  “I’d buy you another, but I think you might drink me out of my credits. I only have an Alliance salary you know.”

Wren barked out a laugh that was unladylike and far too much like her brother. “I’ll buy the next round then.” She waved at the waiter and motioned for two more glasses.

He smiled at her. “You might not want to do that. I’m a biotic you know.”

“I’ll take my chances.” The waiter returned, placing the glasses before them. He took away Wren’s empty glass and eyed Kaidan’s. He downed his glass as fast as he could and passed it on to the waiter. Wren giggled.

Silence fell between them again as they sipped from their glasses. It wasn’t awkward this time. There was a comfort in the silence, like they were recalling a memory. Wren was the first to break the silence with a quiet hum.

She placed a hand on her cheek. “I shouldn’t have had so much. I’m probably glowing bright pink.”

“Pink is a good color on you.”

She smiled, tipping her glass against her lips before gently placing it back on the table. She was quite good with a glass of liquor in her hands. She looked elegant even in her overly Earthly clothes. She wore a flowing green tunic, white pants that clung to her ankles, and sandals. He felt overdressed in his fatigues.

Wren sighed, a heavy conversation changing sigh. “Where did you go after the funeral? I didn’t see you at the wake.”

Kaidan swallowed. “I…” _I left because I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t make myself stand in that room with people who barely knew the Commander._ “I had some business to attend to.”

“I wish I could have escaped it,” she continued. Her eyes were blurry and she stared at her glass with furrowed brows.

It felt as if all the air in the Citadel had been vented out. Kaidan wanted to reach across and hold her, comfort her like he had at the funeral.

“I’m sorry,” Kaidan whispered.

She sniffed harshly, looking up. Her face was pink from alcohol. All of it was rushing to her face now.

She shook her head and clarity came back to her eyes. “Fuck…no I’m sorry,” she whispered, sitting up again. “I didn’t mean to make this sad.” She smiled the same smile she had given him at the funeral.

“My brother had always been an idiot—reckless,” she continued, more lightheartedly, “I should thank you for keeping him alive for so long.”

Kaidan shook his head, swallowing his alcohol. “I’m pretty sure the Commander saved my life once or twice.”

“The Commander?” She chuckled, eying Kaidan. He preferred her laugh, but he still blushed under her gaze. “Now I worry about who they let in the Alliance.”

“Eh, we aren’t that bad.”

“Good,” she returned, finishing off her glass. He looked down and saw his was mostly gone as well. How long had they been sitting there? “I was afraid I was going to have to worry about you from now on.”

“I…” He was blushing. He knew it, and so did she. Wren laughed—warming him more than any amount of alcohol could.

“I should be going.” She stood. He instantly followed, nearly tripping on his own feet. She smiled. “I still can’t believe my brother made friends with such a gentleman, but here you are.” She gestured at him, and grinned. She began to back away from the table, stumbling.

Kaidan jumped for her, almost knocking over the table. “I should walk you back.”

She batted him away. “No. No, I’m fine. Just can’t hold my liquor very well huh?” She giggled. “We’ll have to do this again sometime.”

“I’d like that,” Kaidan breathed, a smile etched across his face.

“I promise next time I won’t cry like an idiot,” she muttered, embarrassed, before turning for the elevators.


	4. Forgive Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insert three drops of angst. Stir until tears.

It was 4 am. Kaidan’s omni-tool glowed bright in the darkness, buzzing against his arm. The rest of the barrack stayed quiet besides a few faint snores from other Alliance soldiers. He sat up, pinching his nose. Tapping at the holo-screen and placing the earpiece into place, he opened up a new call from an unknown number.

“Hello?” he whispered.

“Hi. It’s Wren.”

 _Wren_. She didn’t have to say anymore. Kaidan pushed the air out of his mouth through his teeth, letting out a low whistle. The soldier above his bunk snorted in his sleep.

“…Did I get the wrong number? This is Commander…Commander Alenko right?” Her voice slurred slightly across the line.

Kaidan cleared his throat. “Yeah, yeah it is.”                                                                                                                       

“Oh…” Her voice was breathy and distant. “Good. My friend got your number from the private directory. I’m—I’m sorry it’s so late…I just…”

His face instantly fell. The pit of his stomach knotted up. “What’s wrong?”

She sighed, air shakily buzzing across the line. “I just….” She sniffed, humming slightly as she found her voice again. “I just…keep thinking about him, and I can’t stop crying…and…Why did he have to die?”

“Wren…”

“Why did he make me go back to that place? I hate that place. Everyone dies on that damned planet.” Her voice was shaking across the line.

“I don’t think he meant to hurt you Wren,” Kaidan whispered. His bunkmate shifted above him. “I don’t think he wanted to leave you Wren.”

“Did he ever tell you about the attack? Did he ever tell you that he almost died because he was an idiot? If it wasn’t for me, he’d have run out charged up and…stupid.  He blamed me for our parents’ deaths. He said if I hadn’t made him hide with me, he could have saved them.”

_She saved my ass once. That’s the only reason I’m here._

She took in a sharp breath. “Do you think he still blamed me? Do you think he…he blamed me until the end….”

“No,” Kaidan whispered, trying to keep his voice down. “No, he didn’t. He was proud of you. He…he loved you.”

She sat silent on the other end of the line for a moment before bursting into loud sobs. Kaidan closed his eyes, swallowing hard.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped between tears. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Wren, breathe.”

She gasped for air, holding back tears. “I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”

Kaidan waited a moment before responding, waiting for more tears. “I’m glad. Get some sleep.”

“Okay…Kaidan?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you stay on the line with me until I fall asleep?”

He hesitated, heart jumping in his chest. “Sure,” he breathed.

“Thank you.” She sighed on the line. He layed back down, staring at the bunk above him. Soon her breathing was steady and quiet, but he didn’t want to hang up.

Three hours later he woke to a message on his omni-tool.

 **Wren.Shepard:** _I owe you dinner for that. :) Thank you. Srsly._

**K.Alenko:** _Anytime._

**Wren.Shepard:** _Don’t say that. I’m a Shepard. We take advantage of people’s kindness._

**K.Alenko:** _Well I’m glad I mean it then._


	5. Parting of Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I tell you that I write about nerds? Because Wren and Kaidan are just stupid nerds. I love them so.

**K.Alenko:** _It couldn’t have been that bad._

**Wren.Shepard** : _We talked about stem growth of pumpkins in adverse climates for 2 hrs. I hate pumpkins. D: <_

**K.Alenko:** _Note to self throw out the pumpkin pie._

**Wren.Shepard** _Don’t joke. I’ll feel guilty. :|_

**K.Alenko:** _Haha. No. But I worry about your feelings toward zucchini. :o_

**Wren.Shepard** : _Ooh I had zucchini chips with lunch yesterday. Don’t ruin them for me._

**K.Alenko:** _I am offended by that comment._

**Wren.Shepard:** _Haha. I’ll see you in an hr._

It had been over a year and a half since his death. Reporters didn’t pester them as much. They didn’t ask the stupid questions they had months before. Reporters didn’t ask if they had met before the funeral. They didn’t ask if they were dating. Rightly, they wouldn’t have liked the answer anyway.

“You have saved the day, Alenko,” Wren announced, scooping another spoonful of pasta and zucchini onto her plate. “I have nearly forgotten about the stupid conference.”

“You mean the pumpkins?”

Wren frowned. “And there you go ruining things again. I let you into my home, let you cook in my kitchen, and this is how you repay me?” She was already giggling before she finished. Kaidan laughed, grabbing for his beer.

“And don’t forget, drink your beer.” He raised the bottle as a dramatic gesture to an imaginary toast before taking a sip.

“I don’t drink beer.” She swirled the pasta around her fork. “That’s been in my fridge since the last time you visited.” She shoved the forkful of food into her mouth. “Don’t die,” she muttered through a mouthful of noodle.

Kaidan snorted. “Two month old beer is my favorite. What are you talking about?” He took another sip.

She smiled, wiping sauce from her face. “So, what new training thing brings you back to the Citadel? You still with that contractor?”

Kaidan shook his head. “No, apparently Alliance regulations were too strict for them. They didn’t need our services anymore.” Wren wrinkled her nose, chewing on another forkful of pasta. “I’m actually here until they figure out a new station for me.”

He stared down at his empty plate, moving the fork in circles across the left over sauce.

Wren stopped eating. “Oh,” she whispered. “So extensive shore leave?”

“Something like that,” he chuckled.

“Look at you getting to party while I still work.”  She dramatically tsked at him before she stood, picking up her plate and his.

Kaidan grabbed the bowl of pasta and followed her in the kitchen. “Yeah, you know me, the partier.”

She laughed, grabbing the bowl from him. He moved to the cupboard to find the storage bowls. He knew everything in her kitchen. He’d been to her apartment at least half a dozen times. He turned to her, holding out a plastic bowl.

“Well, you could be a partier if we got you earplugs or something.” She shrugged, spooning the rest of the pasta into the bowl and headed for the fridge. “I’ll be eating zucchini ribbon pasta for a week, thanks to you.”

“Not so fast. I have something even better planned for tomorrow.”

“Oh?” She looked at him questioningly. “Who said you’d be allowed back into my apartment?”

“The security lock,” he said, gesturing at the sensor at the other end of the room. She rolled her eyes.

“Well I’ll be changing the lock, so there.” Wren elbowed him as she left the kitchen, leaving the dishes to be washed later. He followed her to the living room, another beer in his hands.

“I’ve never seen a Shepard turn down free food.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, plopping on the couch. “I’m not turning down food. I’m just…I’m just going to be busy tomorrow is all. And I do have to change the lock.” She sighed, the sigh he knew all too well. She was hiding something.

“Oh, any special reason?” he asked, sitting down next to her. She slid her feet across the arm of the couch, settled her head against his shoulder, and closed her eyes. Her curly dark hair tumbled over his shoulder. He liked her with her hair natural, not like the straight hair the special gave her. He had teased her about that half a dozen times now. She would just shake her full head of hair, gesturing at the mess like it was untamable.

“I…I’m moving planet side in two weeks. I have a project that they thought I’d be the perfect director for.” Wren spoke fast, mumbling all her words together.

She had become his anchor, ironically pulling him back to the Citadel more than he had ever cared too. And he had been there when she broke down. If Kaidan actually took a chance, there could be more than an overly attached friendship, but he didn’t want to lose her by pushing her.

_Don’t leave._ “Can you say where?”

“Horizon. It’s…it’s a colony.” She swallowed. Kaidan sighed. A colony meant more nightmares, and panic attacks, and a hundred other things. Every colony was like Mindoir when you thought about it.

He shifted his arm around her and she settled against him. _I can’t live without you._  “Will you be okay?”

She opened her eyes, staring at the speckled ceiling. “I think…I think I will be. I really like this project. It’s extending the life of a terminate seed for a better harvest. Like think how much help that’ll be? They won’t need as many supplies shipped to them during the off season. We could implement the same thing in other colonies and help with food crises galaxy wide and…it’d be great. ”

Wren lit up as she talked. Kaidan resisted the urge to run his fingers through her hair. “And that’s why you’re a Shepard.”

She snorted. “Because I put myself in needless harm and cause myself emotional issues,” she stated deadpan before snorting again.

“No, you think of others before yourself.”

Wren stuck her tongue out and made a fart noise with her lips. “Leave it up to Kaidan Alenko to make a moment super sentimental,” she teased. He chuckled, laying his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. _Leave it up to Alenko._ His whole body sighed. _Leave it up to Alenko to not say how he really feels._


	6. Reunions Are Sweet

**K.Alenko:** _Happy Early Birthday!_

 **Wren. Shepard:** _And here I thought you forgot my birthday._

 **K.Alenko:** _I think the alarms you put on my omni-tool would make that impossible._

 **Wren.Shepard:** _How am I supposed to know if Alliance boys actually pay attention?_

 **Wren.Shepard:** _You haven’t talked to me in months._

 **K.Alenko:** _I have a surprise for you._

**Wren.Shepard:** _Orly? Nothing boring I hope._

**K.Alenko:** _I think it’s a pretty rad surprise._

**Wren.Shepard:** _Rad? Should you be up this late grandpa?_

**K.Alenko:** _Just be at the arrival station around 0800 tomorrow morning._

 **Wren.Shepard:** _Do not military time me. Kaidan Alenko I stg._

 **Wren.Shepard:** _You’re ignoring me now aren’t you…._

Wren Shepard woke to her alarm only four and a half hours after falling asleep. 0700. She had already slept in half an hour longer than she should have and would probably miss the breakfast window, but it was her birthday dammit and she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her from sleeping in and having breakfast. She had just wished her anxieties had let her sleep in the first place. She hadn’t taken the sleeping pills the Alliance medical officer prescribed because honestly he was a bit weird. Horizon as a whole wasn’t a fan of the Alliance. People in the colony gave her begrudging respect because of her brother and moved on.

She quickly got dressed, brushed her hair up into a bun, and hurriedly brushed her teeth. Wren was pretty sure no one would care if she was late to breakfast today. Most of the time she worked by herself, but she didn’t want to chance it. The communications relay was acting up again. The Alliance soldiers were getting antsy for their replacements to arrive. She didn’t want her birthday ruined due to being late.

0725\. The cafeteria of the Agrotech research facilities was nearly empty when she arrived. The man behind the counter laughed as he saw her, scooping food onto a tray for her. Eggs, something that resembled bacon, toast, and a cookie was presented to her.

“Happy Birthday, Miss Wren.” She smiled at him, and took her place at one of the tables to scarf down her food before 0800. She figured Kaidan had sent her something in the latest Alliance supply delivery, and if she wasn’t there at the 0800 delivery time, she’d have to spend half the day trying to get it out of inventory.

0753\. Seven minutes to go, she returned her tray with a gracious thank you before running across the compound to the arrival station.

0800 on the dot. She watched as the shuttle set down behind the main docking building. She scanned her omni-tool across the front lock and dashed into the loading bay.

“Morning, Miss Shepard,” called the Operations Manager, clicking away at his datapad. “What brings you here?”

“There’s a rumor I have a gift arriving this round,” she stated, trying not to seem as giddy as she was. _Keep your cool, Wren. They don’t need to know you’re a huge nerd—er—a huger nerd._

The Operations Manager stared down at his datapad, shaking his head. “Nothing has been labeled for you. Are you sure?”

Wren frowned. “I was told this morning. Are you sure there’s nothing with Shepard on it?”

The Operations Manager shrugged. “Could have been something last minute, I guess. I’ll tell Mike to keep an eye out for it when unloading. It’ll just be a bit.”

Wren nodded. The man moved from the main loading bay and over to the shuttle. She pressed herself against the wall, trying to look busy, but in reality she was being impatient. She read the messages Kaidan had sent three times.

_Just be at the arrival station around 0800 tomorrow morning._

It was 0800. Actually it was now 0805 if she was being technical. And it was her birthday. He had said it was for her birthday. He had even said it was _rad_ —all proud of himself.

She bit her lip, swiping off her omni-tool.  _I swear if he forgot to actually put my gift on the shuttle I’ll personally hunt him down and beat—_

“Hey, stranger,” came a familiar voice.

Wren’s head snapped up. Before her stood a face she hadn’t seen in months. He smiled at her with his honey eyes first, his mouth spread slowly into a grin. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She lifted herself from the wall.

“What?” he laughed, shifting his duffle bag on his shoulder. “Disappointed?” His face faltered slightly as she said nothing, just stood there and stared. For an instant he thought she really had been disappointed, but then she jumped forward, throwing her arms around his neck and knocking the duffle bag from his shoulder.

“You jerk,” she breathed against his neck. “I can’t believe you’re here.” Kaidan slowly wrapped his arms around her.

“Happy Birthday, Wren.”


	7. Blooming Interest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the smut happens.

“Who did you have to sleep with to get this whiskey?” Wren teased, swirling the liquid in her glass. Kaidan choked, sputtering whiskey across his lips.

“I….” Kaidan blushed, wiping the whiskey from his mouth. Wren laughed, jumping up to grab a towel.

“I wasn’t serious. Unless you did sleep with someone?” She had formed it as a question, though the underlying tone was more than obvious. _Please tell me you didn’t sleep with anyone. Please._ She had already had one too many glasses of alcohol in her. They had finished a bottle of wine she had snuck in during the last supply shipment and was saving for her birthday, and had moved on to Kaidan’s whiskey. Horizon was an alcohol free zone—unfortunately.

“No,” Kaidan said firmly, taking the towel from Wren. His fingers crossed over hers and she instantly blushed. “The Alliance is better at hiding alcohol than you think.”

“Oh,” Wren whispered, “do tell.” She giggled, sliding back into her seat. “Or maybe don’t…if it involves using the body for anything.” She waved her hand before him, wrinkling her nose.

She looked lovely there, smiling like a fool and making dramatic gestures. Her face was bare, freckled and slightly sunburnt. Her hair tumbled out of the bun in a curling dark mass. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. The pit of his stomach twisted and fluttered. It was like Rahna all over again. The fluttering stopped. He couldn’t think of Rahna now, but suddenly he worried about controlling himself around Wren—if he’d do something stupid again. He had vowed to protect Jayce’s sister, not…the idea of kissing her flashed into his mind.  He curled his fingers into a fist, staring down at his glass.

“What is it?” Wren asked, somberly. She leaned over, chin in hands and elbows pressed hard against the small table. She was sitting on her knees now. He could feel her breath in front of him. “What’s wrong?”

He looked up at her. She looked honestly worried. Her green eyes were blurry and twinkling. Her pink lips parted slightly. He shook his head, swallowing. “No…just thinking of an old friend.”

She shifted her chin into one hand and used the other to gently trace along his nose. “No thinking about old friends,” she slurred. “It’s my birthday. Think about me.” She booped the tip of his nose and giggled.

“Wren,” he breathed.

“Kaidan,” she returned pulling her feet onto the table to get closer to him. His whole body tingled when she said his name.

“Wren, please, I think you’re drunk.”

“I am.” She bumped her nose against his. “But I know what I’m doing.”

He cleared his throat, looking away. “I don’t think—”

“Why didn’t you ever make a move?” she whispered. “Why didn’t you ever try to kiss me?”

Kaidan’s ears burned. “I…what?” He looked back at her. She was inches away. Her breath was hot against his lips.

“I almost thought you would by now. Maybe I read things wrong,” she continued. Her eyes drifted to his lips. “Or maybe you’re just too scared.” She twisted to a sitting position on the table, swinging her legs down on either side of him.

“Wren, I can’t.” But he didn’t move. He should have pushed his chair away from the table. He should have sat back, but he didn’t want to.

“You can’t, or you won’t?” She was challenging him now, challenging him to push her away. She was nearly in his lap. She placed her hands on either side of his face, tracing her fingers against his skin. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes.

“Kaidan,” she whispered.

He hummed in response.

“Do you want me?”

His breath hitched. His eyes shot open. “Wren, I—”

“Please say yes,” she whimpered, mouth nearly on his.

And with those words, he mentally asked for forgiveness from his dead friend, and pressed forward. His lips made contact with hers, warm and welcoming. She moaned at the contact. He wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her on top of him.

Gasping, they separated. Wren pulled off her shirt, throwing it unceremoniously onto the table, before reaching for his. She placed kisses along his neck while pulling the hem of his shirt up. His hands traced across her bare skin, speckled like the universe and blushing pink. Wren wriggled his white, regulation shirt over his head, grinning. Every single one of her movements was intentional. She grazed her fingers across his skin whenever she had the chance. Kissing him harder each time they joined again.

She forced off his belt with a grunt, and slid her thin fingers down his skin until she found him hot under the waistband. Kaidan swallowed, breath shuddering against her lips.

He shifted her hand away, decidedly lifted her as he stood, and with his limited knowledge of her new colony apartment, carried her to the bedroom.

She shimmed out of her pants as soon as her back hit the mattress. She pulled everything past her toes and onto the floor, helped Kaidan do the same, before pulling him down with her.

He kissed her, running his lips across her jaw, down her neck, and into the space between her breasts. Every inch of her was freckled and pale and blushing. She shivered as he ran his hands along her back and across her stomach. She beckoned him back to her, kissing him fiercely. Her impatient fingers found him between her legs and guided him to her. She gasped as he entered, biting at his lips.

Wren rolled her hips against him, setting a smooth pace. They rose and fell together, skin against skin, pressing for more. Each caress, each gasp indulged feelings they ignored for months, making up for time they had lost pretending not to want each other.

She moaned under him as she rose the last time, digging her fingernails into his shoulders. Kaidan shuddered and released, letting out a long sigh against her neck.

“Never leave me,” she whispered between gasps.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he returned, kissing her neck.


	8. Invasion

Kaidan woke with his nose buried in her thick black hair. His omni-tool buzzed 0500 above him and he tried to move his arm off the pillow reluctantly. Wren shifted in her sleep, whimpering. She was frowning again, like she had the night before, and the night before that.

She was having nightmares again and she refused to take any sleep aids. _What if something happens? What if…_ She had said it over and over again. She’d rather have nightmares than sleep through something happening again.

Kaidan sighed, sitting up. It had been two weeks since that night, and he still couldn’t believe she was what he woke up to every morning.  The rest of the soldiers gave him a hard time about not sleeping in the make shift barracks, but secretly liked not having a commanding officer in the same room as them.

He only wished he didn’t have to leave her every morning. Horizon colonists hate that he was there. They hated the Alliance and how they forced curfews and personnel checks, but with everything going on, he had to be there. And he had to fix the communications relays…again.

After dressing quickly, he was out the door to get to work—the same monotonous work he did every day.  In an hour he’d message Wren a quick good morning and she’d send back a message that would make him either smile or blush, and she wouldn’t stop sending him messages until they met for lunch.

**Wren.Shepard:** _Fuck mornings._

Attached was a picture of her laying face down in the pillows, black hair a sprawling mess.

 **K.Alenko:** _Beautiful as always I see._

 **Wren.Shepard:** _I do not appreciate the sass Commander._

Then she’d send pictures of plants with captions like _my small baby_ for sprouting plants, _the princess of beans_ for a plant with multicolored leaves _,_ and _my bastard child lives_ in reference to cross breeding terminate seeds she thought perished days ago.

By noon, Kaidan had at least sixteen new photos of random plants, dirt, and Wren’s excitement for working experiments. It was the only thing that got him through fixing and replacing every piece of equipment in the damned colony. He would have to request another backup generator for the communication relays soon and he wasn’t looking forward to that. But until then, he quickly messaged Wren.

**K.Alenko:** _I recommend my science nerd eats something._

“Don’t call me a nerd, you nerd,” she yelled at him. He jumped, spinning around.

There she stood, hair braided back against her neck and dirt on her chin.

“I got done twenty minutes ago, so I thought I’d come bug you.” She hopped forward, hooking her arm in his. “How was your morning?”

Kaidan chuckled. “Oh you know. The same old song and dance.” They started their walk through the residential zone, crossing by Wren’s lab and towards the cafeteria.

“Everything is broken and no one but you can fix it?” she teased.

Kaidan sighed. “The turrets are still down. The comm relays are acting up. I don’t even know if any of this stuff worked in the first place. And everyone here is trying to place the blame on the Alliance.”

Wren squeezed his arm. “It’ll be alright, just—”

A buzzing filled their ears. Above them a large object, almost a ship, began its decent through the clouds. Kaidan released himself from her grip, grabbing his gun from its holster.

“What is that?” she breathed, chills running down her spine. A familiar feeling raced through her body. She could hardly breathe. _Not this. Not this._

“Everyone to the safe house, now,” Kaidan shouted. People around him ran except Wren, who stood frozen beside him. “Wren, go.”

He turned back to the ship. A cloud of darkness closed in on them.

“Wren, go!” he shouted again.

She stood shaking, tears in her eyes. “I can’t. Kaidan, I…I…”

He grabbed her arm and ran, laying suppressive fire behind them. Wren gasped between her tears, unable to stop crying.

“Just stay calm. Just—” He yelped, letting go of her arm. He snatched a large bug off the back of his neck. “What’s—” He froze.

“Kaidan,” Wren whispered, ducking before him to avoid the mass of bugs. “Kaidan….” He didn’t answer. He stood frozen in place. The only thing that moved was his eyes, darting about with fear. She screamed at him, trying to shake him free. “You can’t. Kaidan, you can’t!”

Someone grabbed at her. “Miss Shepard, we’ve got to—” They were stung too, standing beside her frozen in place. She tried to calm herself, blinking away tears. She swallowed, and with shaky fingers, pried the gun from Kaidan’s hands.

“I’ll bring it back, I promise,” she whispered, voice still watery. “I need to find help.” She didn’t know where she was going to find help. A commanding Alliance officer was standing frozen before her and she was stealing his gun. But she was a Shepard.  Shepards do foolish things in the hopes of helping others.

Finally conveying the urgency to her legs, Wren ran, disappearing into an evacuated house and into the cupboards under the sink. She set the rifle in her lap and held the doors shut. She could see the bugs fly about through the slit between the doors.  Tears rolled down her cheeks, and it was hard for her to breathe, but she couldn’t move. _Kaidan please don’t die. Kaidan, I’m sorry._  She closed her eyes and tried to keep her hands from shaking.


	9. Reunions Are Bitter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if this is messed up in any places. I honestly typed up three fourths of it on my phone during a car ride to and from a shoot for work. Wrote super emotional while my coworker drove us for four hours. *pokerface.jpg* I'll try to stay up on writing this. I have a thousand ideas and want you all to enjoy them. It's going to be a longer story. I'm going through to the end of ME3, promise. Just bare with my slowness. <3 Thank you for reading.

Bugs. Giant bugs. They were walking all over the colony now. They looked more horrifying that batarians. She watched them move outside through the cupboard doors, holding the rifle steady in her hands. She was no longer shaking. A calm had flushed through her like on Mindoir when she had grabbed her brother and forced him to hide in the basement closet with her. Even after all the screams they stayed there.

This time it was eerily silent. The bugs, the collectors she supposed, clicked at each other and moved body after body into pods. She had heard rumors about them, but she hadn’t thought them real. She hadn’t even thought to ask Kaidan about them. They were probably the real reason the Alliance was on Horizon. She prayed that they hadn’t gotten to Kaidan yet. She blinked away the image of him frozen out there.

There was a collector in the room with her. Her heart jumped and she tried to keep her breath from growing too loud. She could see it pacing back and forth in the kitchen of the apartment.

Wren's foot slipped across the bottom of cabinet, causing an audible shhh that reverberated through the whole kitchen. The Collector turned back towards the kitchen. Clicking, he raised his rifle at Wren's hiding place and moved towards her. She swallowed hard. Her breathing became impossible to control.

As the Collector inched closer to the cabinet, Wren repositioned herself gun first. Her fingers shook around the trigger of the rifle. She had to be ready. She had to-

_Click. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow._

Shots. The hole in the cabinet was just big enough to show she had hit her mark. The Collector layed slumped against the refrigerator. She released the trigger, taking a deep breath. She placed the gun down beside her, shaking too hard for it to be any use.

She was crying again. The tears blurred her vision and stung her eyes. More gun shots could be heard in the distance, fast and aggressive. Someone was fighting back out there. She prayed it was the Alliance--someone with skill and fire power.

Wren slowly pulled herself out of the cabinet, pushing the busted door to the side. She looked over the counter and out the back window. No one was in sight. Not even a Collector. She looked down at the rifle and thought of Kaidan. _Oh, god,_ she thought. _Oh, god._

Picking up the rifle, she ran from the room, through the back corridor between housing units, and back to where she had left him, standing frozen in a swarm of bugs. But now there were no bugs. There were no Collectors. There was no one.

Kaidan was gone

Wren's throat closed. She fell to her knees, clutching the rifle to her chest. She was too late. This was like Mindoir all over again. She couldn't do anything to help them and now they were gone. Kaidan was gone.

The firefight in the distance began to calm as the colony turrets popped shots at the tremendous ship. The whirr of its engines gave note of its escape as it began to disappear into the clouds above.

"No," Wren whispered, pulling herself to her feet. There was only one place Kaidan could be and it was on that ship. It couldn't leave. He couldn't leave. "No," she repeated, voice cracking as she screamed. She readied the rifle in her hands, and ran. She weaved through empty houses. Her lungs filled sharply with every breath, crashing against her chest as quickly as her feet pounded against the uneven ground. She busted through the Agrotech cafeteria, aware of the eerie silence, before stumbling into the main relay area of the turrets.

The enclosed area was littered with alien carnage. Collector after Collector had fallen to heavy gun fire. Above her the sky was clear. The turrets hissed as they began to shut back down. The ship was gone. There was nothing left.

Closing her eyes, Wren dropped the rifle. This was worse than Mindoir. She had no one to help pick up the pieces.

"Wren?"

The voice that called made the hairs on the back of her neck raise. She turned, eyes landing on a ghost of a man, scarred and tan. His black hair was absurdly short, showing bright red scars across his scalp. His eyes glittered a familiar green.

"Jayce?" His name fell from her lips before she fully realized she was saying it. She blinked at her brother. Standing next to him was a turian she swore she recognized and a woman with dark hair, light eyes, and a confused look mixing across her face.

Jayce broke into a lopsided grin. He crossed over to her, holster in his gun and throwing his arms out.

"Baby sister, I can't believe. What are you doing here?--"

Wren stomped forward, reeled back her fist, and connected firmly across his already once broken nose. Jayce's stumbled back, clutching his face. Blood rushed from his nose and across the back of his hand.

"Jesus, Wren, what was that for?"

"What was that for? What the fuck did you think that's for? You died. We had a funeral. You made me go back to Mindoir." Wren stepped forward, kicking at her brother's knee. He yelped as the toe of her boot cracked against his leg. "Fucking Christ, Jayce, I-"

Wren caught the eye of her brother's companion. She had unholstered her gun, looking past them both. "Shepard," the woman called coolly. Her brother stood straight, waving his free hand at his companion. The grin returned to his face.

Wren quickly turned, digging her heels into the dirt. Approaching was Kaidan, eyes narrowed and hand scratching the back of his neck. Wren swayed as the rush of relief washed over her. He was alive. He was there. She hadn't lost him.

"Kaidan," she breathed, running forward and crashing into him. Kaidan sighed against her, nose pressed to her neck. "Thank god you're alright," she stated quickly as she pulled away, words tumbling into each other. "I'm sorry I took the rifle. I didn't know what else to do. I thought...I don't know what I thought. I'm sorry. I..." She paused, cupping his head between her hands. "You are alright?" Kaidan gave a curt nod, blushing as his eyes met with Jayce's.

"Well, I'll be damned lieutenant," the turian said with a chuckle. Wren turned back to her brother, taking a half step back from Kaidan. She could see her brother's jaw flex as he ground his teeth. The grin was gone. The fury only an idiot brother would have flamed in his eyes.

"I see," he muttered.

Wren opened her mouth to retort, almost ready to kick in his shins again, but Kaidan spoke first.

"You were dead, Shepard." His voice was eerily cold. The tone of his voice made it clear he had been holding onto this anger for quite a while. "I watched you get spaced, Shepard."

Jayce's face softened. "I know, I--"

"I had heard rumors that you were alive, but I couldn't believe them. Why should I have believed them? And now I see they're true. You're alive and working for that terrorist group, Cerberus."

"It's the only way I can stop this," Jayce shouted. "What do you want from me, Kaidan? Huh? Do you want me to apologize for dying? For leaving you and the crew behind?"

"No. I want you to apologize to her," Kaidan hissed. "For making her go back to that he'll hole of a planet. For making her go this alone. She deserves a better brother than you."

Jayce stopped for a moment, every emotion washing across his face. He frowned, clutching his hands into fists. "Oh, so you're going to fill in? As what? You convince my sister to care about you just to--"

"Stop!" Wren's voice cut hard across the empty space. All four turned to her. She stood shaking. Her right hand bruised and busted from the punch. Her eyes full of tears. She continued, voice low and thin, "Don't ever fucking talk about me as if I'm not here. Both of you need to stop. Neither of you told me Jayce was alive. Neither of you have a right to use me as fodder. I am not yours." Her eyes trained on her brother. "I don't need your apology, and you..." She swallowed looking over at Kaidan. "I don't need you to defend me. I don't need any of this." She balled up her fists and winced as the bruised skin stretched. "Fuck all of you."

She turned and marched away. Never stopping when they called her name. Never turning back. She marched back to her apartment, chained the door, and ran to the bathroom

_Fuck this planet. Fuck colonies,_ she thought, heaving into the toilet.


	10. Begging Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently emotionally compromised by random video games so I wrote this instead of sleeping because I have a lot of feelings. Also forgive me if it feels rushed. Everything I write feels rushed. Thank you for reading. :D <3
> 
> Also @larxenethefirefly you are hella good at guessing the title of this section. Like I had this title thought out weeks ago and you just use it in your comment. You are a fortune teller. xD

To: JR.Shepard

From: K.Alenko

_I’m sorry for what happened back on Horizon. I spent two years pulling myself back together after you went down on the Normandy. It took me a long time to get over my guilt for surviving. I won’t lie. Wren helped me find myself again. We were there for each other when no one else could be. We were trying to move on, you know? Trying to have normal lives._

_Then I saw you, and everything pulled hard to port. You were standing in front of me--us, but you were with Cerberus. I felt like I had been betrayed, but worst of all I used Wren as an excuse for my anger at you. I guess we aren’t like the great soldiers she thought we were, huh?_

_A lot has changed in the last two years, I won’t deny that. And I still stand by what I said. She deserves an apology. She deserves one from us both._

_But please be careful. I don’t think I could handle seeing Wren cry over your casket again. Don’t make her go through that again._

_If you are still the man, the friend, I remember I know you’ll find a way to stop these Collectors. But Cerberus is too dangerous to be trusted. Watch yourself._

_I promise…I promise to look out for your sister. She means the world to me. I hope you know that._

_Take care._

_\--Kaidan_

 

To: JR.Shepard

From: Wren.Shepard

_Fucking Christ. You fucking idiot. How dare you show up and think that everything is okay. How fucking dare you._

_Cerberus? Really? You’re working for the Greek version of Spot? Yeah fucking Spot. Woof, motherfucker._

_Fuck you, Jayce. Fuck all of this._

_I swear to God, if you make me go through all of that again, I will use whatever fucked up power Cerberus used to get you back and then murder you with my own two hands._

 

To: Wren.Shepard

From: JR.Shepard

_~~I’m sorry for…~~ _

_~~Horizon was…~~ _

_~~I didn’t mean…~~ _

_~~I wanted to tell you…~~ _

_I love you, baby bird. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry._

_[Message Deleted]_

 

To: JR.Shepard

From: Wren.Shepard

_Don’t die again. Please._

 

To: Wren.Shepard

From: K.Alenko

_Please talk to me. I have a thousand things I want to say to you, just please let me say them. You haven’t talked to me since you got sent back to the Citadel. It’s been two weeks. I miss you. I’m sorry. Please call me._

_-Kaidan_

 

“Are you going to ever stop sending me flowers, Alenko?” Wren sighed over the line, staring at the half dozen bouquet of flowers lining her kitchen counter from her place at her desk. He had gotten creative with his selection of flowers. The botanist in her was extremely proud.

“Only when you tell me to stop,” he returned, still surprised she had even called. He had looked down at his omni-tool in disbelief until one of the soldier’s asked him if he was going to answer the call.

“Stop then,” she whispered, almost inaudible. She curled up in her chair, watching the sound wave blip on her screen as he exhaled.

“Yes, ma’am.” Kaidan made his way to his quarters and closed the door behind him, causing the sound wave to wobble on Wren’s screen. “Wren,” he breathed, taking the chance to say something before she hung up on him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about—”

“One of those gossip tickers on the extranet said the Normandy docked this afternoon,” she said. “He’s somewhere on the Citadel now, I know it. I wanted to go find him but…I was terrified to.”

“Wren…”

“Honestly it wouldn’t have mattered if I wanted to see him or not because whenever I leave my apartment I’m swarmed by cameras.” She sighed, looking at her hands. “I hate it.”

“I’m sure Jayce is…he probably…” Kaidan couldn’t find the right words. He wished he was there to comfort her, but he wasn’t. She was on the Citadel and he had been stationed on Earth until further notice.

There was silence over the line. Wren didn’t try to continue and Kaidan couldn’t figure out what to say. After a few moments, Kaidan was sure that Wren had just disconnected, letting the line fall silent. He looked at his omni-tool to check but she was still on the line. A blip on her sound wave crossed over the holo screen.

“I didn’t interrupt anything by calling you, did I?” she finally asked.

Kaidan chuckled. “No, I’m glad you called.”

She hummed.

“I’m more worried about the time. Isn’t it late there?”

“A little after three…in the morning…yeah.”

Kaidan sighed.

“It’s fine,” she continued. “Agrotech has given me a vacation after Horizon. I haven’t been on a normal schedule since.”

“I am sorry, Wren…about everything.”

She hummed again. “I know. I pretty much forgave you about three bouquets ago. I think I even forgave Jayce sometime after I got back to the Citadel. I can’t keep a grunge for the life of me.” She chuckled, running a hand through her messy hair.

Kaidan laughed. “You could have saved me some credits. Those flowers were expensive.”

She smiled and then realize her smile didn’t reach over a sound wave. “I know how expensive those flowers are. I wrote a paper on at least two of them.” She paused. “I should have called you sooner. I just…needed to figure myself out again. If that makes sense.”

It was his turn to hum to her. He sat down on his bed, leaning his head against the back wall.

“How’s Vancouver?”

“It’s nice to be home. Though I haven’t seen my parents as much as I’d like.”

“Right,” Wren breathed. “You’re from there. You told me about it before. Sounded like such a nice place.” Wren blinked. She could feel tears riding the rim of her eyelid.  “How’s your family?”

“They’re good. They ask me about you?”

“Me?” she croaked.

Kaidan laughed. “Yes, you. I might have accidentally wrote home about you a few times. They told me I had to win you back somehow.”

Wren giggled. “You never had to win me, Kaidan. I hope you know that.”

“Hey…” His voice sounded soft and found its way under her skin. She shivered. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Oh? Does it involve more thousand credit flowers?”

“Not exactly. Why don’t you come Earth side? You could…you could maybe meet my parents.”

Wren’s breath caught in her throat. Silence. She didn’t know how to answer him. She had been his friend for what felt like forever, but they had only been _together_ for a few weeks.  Her heart beat like she was a teenager all over again.

“Or, not. It was just an idea. I don’t want to—”

“No,” Wren shouted. Her sound wave peaked across Kaidan’s omni-tool. “I just…I don’t…” She swallowed. She had never been in a situation where someone cared enough about her to want that. The only family she had now was her brother, but there was Kaidan asking her to come see him, to come see his family. “Okay.”

Kaidan’s biotics tingled. “Good. Then I’ll get to see you soon.”

“Can’t wait,” Wren breathed, a smile stuck firmly on her face.

“And Wren…”

“Yeah.”

“I love you.”

Wren’s face burned bright red. _I love you._ _He loves you._

She licked her lips, focusing all her attention on the flat sound wave on her holo screen. “I love you too,” she breathed.

“Now get some sleep,” Kaidan returned, disconnecting the call. He felt like his head was swimming. He didn’t know what made him say those words, but he was glad he did. She loved him. And he loved her.


	11. Missed You, Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short but I wanted to posted another chapter so you all know I'm not dead. This fic is not dead. I just have my senior presentation and finals next week and I'm at work or doing things for work when I'm not crying over my biology final. So I've been busy.
> 
> Thank you for reading. SOON THE PARENTAL UNITS WILL ARRIVE. If you have Alenko parent name ideas shoot them in the comments. I've picked two but I'm still not 100% on them. :D

Exiting the Vancouver Space Port restroom, Wren already regretted her dress. She had bought the pink and floral gown from a hanar boutique in the southern wards about three hours before she left the Citadel. She pulled the sleeves down to cover her elbows, and the skirt to cover the white tights she was thankful she’d packed. The hanar was so convincing…or maybe she had been absurdly nervous.

The last time she had gotten serious with a boy was when she had been 16 and she never met his parents. They also never said they loved each other after nearly dying in an alien attack.

She had curled her hair…or at least tried to conform her naturally curly hair into something manageable, and had applied a thin line of eyeliner in the bathroom of the space port.

Wren moved through the main terminal, pulling her luggage behind her. She filed into a crowd of over a hundred people, all with their heads low, shuffling their way to the main gates to exit. She heard the beeping of security drones as everyone made their way to their exit. Vancouver was only a few steps away and Wren had never been more nervous in her entire life.

After funneling out of the front doors of the port, she settled her suitcase at her side and scanned the crowd for Kaidan. It didn’t take long for her to spot him. Even after weeks of not seeing him, even with his back to her, she could pick him out of the crowd with ease. His hair was slicked back and one hand ran across the back of the collar of his blue shirt, nervously. He was dressed like a civilian, wearing blue jeans and a cotton shirt. He reached for his omni-tool and quickly swiped across a message.

Her omni-tool buzzed suddenly. A smile spread across her lips.

 **K.Alenko** : _Let me know when you’re at the main gates._

 **Wren.Shepard** : _Aw. That’ll ruin the surprise._

 **K.Alenko** : _Oh? What surprise?_

She snuck up behind him—trailing her luggage behind her as quiet as she possibly could.  She got as close as she could, standing on her tip toes and whispered, “Boo.”

Kaidan jumped, spinning on his heels. Wren barked out a laugh, covering her mouth with both hands. “Your face is priceless,” she teased between gasps of laughter. Kaidan tried to frown at her but couldn’t. Instead, he pulled her into a hug, pressing his chin against the top of her head.

She sighed in his grasp, still giggling intermediately. He released her, drawing his hands along her elbows before lacing his fingers with hers. He looked her over, a smirk dancing on his lips. “You look—”

She frowned immediately. “I know. I look ridiculous. Like good job Wren, let’s meet the boyfriend’s parents as if a pastel garden threw up on you. They’ll never be able to tell you work with plants or—”

He stopped her with a gentle kiss on her top lip before pressing a hand against her jaw and moving his lips fully onto hers.  She sighed as they parted. The nerves that had worked up her spine suddenly gone.

“You called me your boyfriend,” he whispered. She blushed instantly.

“I think the next flight to the Citadel is in five hours. I think I can survive in the port for five hours. Yep,” she breathed, pressing her forehead into his chest. Kaidan chuckled.

“I missed you, too,” he returned.

Wren pulled herself up again, sticking her tongue out at him. He winked, grabbing her suitcase in one hand and laced his fingers of his free hand with hers. 


	12. Family Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk man. Everything I'm writing lately is super cheesy. Like 95% cheese. But I'm done with school forever and I'm working full time so I'm going to assume I'll have more time than I did before to write. But Idk. Hopefully no one gets mad about the names I picked for the Alenkos. #yolt

Kaidan had rented a shuttle, weaving in and out of traffic before turning out of the city for the country. The skyline flattened into tumbling hills of green with small clusters of homes. Wren had forgotten how Earth looked. Colonies didn’t have this fearless reach into the horizon. You didn’t live past the guarded territories. Earth was safe.

“I’ve resigned my position at Agrotech,” she announced suddenly, eyes still scanning the horizon.

“Oh?” Kaidan adjusted his grip on the wheel, glancing over at Wren.

“Yeah. I just…” She sighed, looking over at Kaidan. “I don’t think I can do anymore colony work which is where Agrotech is headed. They don’t do much research anymore.”

A pause fell between them. The hum of the shuttle rattled through them.

“I just wanted you to know before we got to your parents’ house. I didn’t want to correct you.”

Kaidan swallowed. “So what are you going to do?”

Wren smirked. “That’s a surprise.”

Kaidan chuckled. “Of course it is.” He reached over and laced his fingers with hers. She sighed, content to sit back in her seat and close her eyes. She felt at home with his hand in hers. Soon, lulled by the hum of the shuttle beneath them, Wren fell asleep.

She woke with a start half hour later as they turned onto a road lined with trees and houses covered in vines—none of them looked like the prefabbed colony homes. Even back on Mindoir, her mother had purchased paint from requisitions and painted the trimmings a bright green so Wren would stop going to the wrong house after school.

“You alright?” Kaidan asked, reaching for her hand as he pulled into the driveway of his parents’ home. It was a two story home, painted in white, covered in vines and trimmed in red. Wren squeezes Kaidan’s hand and smiles. It was the first time in a long time she had slept peaceful, even for a few minutes.

Kaidan turned off the car as the front door opened. Out came a woman with dark, short hair, speckled with gray. She smiled at the car, light eyes twinkling. She shouted back through the door.

“Well, here we go,” Kaidan sighed, looking nervous. Wren leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before slipping out of her seat. The nerves were bubbling in her stomach, but like a true Shepard she was going to face this head on.

Wren’s head popped up over the top of the shuttle. Both Kaidan’s parents stood in the door. His mother continued to smile and his father raised his thick eyebrow at Wren. She could see where Kaidan got his looks. His father had a thick head of gray hair and the same caramel eyes. Wren smiled back, waving her fingers at them.

***

Never in her entire life had she been fussed over as much as the moment she sat down to eat dinner with Kaidan’s parents. Kaidan was already blushing from across the table as his mother apologized for not having a salad prepared.

“The lettuce was already wilting. I was so upset,” his mother chided, before settling into her seat across from Kaidan’s father.

“It’s quite alright.”

“Maya, there’s enough food here to feed an army,” Kaidan’s father scoffed. Wren smiled, looking down at the table. He wasn’t exactly wrong. There was a full ham, two bowls of different potatoes, a jellied thing Wren couldn’t quite place but smelled delicious, green beans with bacon, and corn with carrots, and roasted honey yam.

“You would know, Casimir,” Kaidan’s mother teased, snapping her napkin before laying it across her lap. “Now, Wren, dear,” she continued while passing around the plate of ham, “I must admit we don’t know that much about you.”

“Oh?” Wren perked up, taking the plate from Maya.

“Kaidan spoke of you a bit but he likes to graze over the details.”

“Kaidan? Missing details?” Wren laughed. For the entire time Wren had known Kaidan, he had been a stickler for detail. She had asked him a thousand questions about his childhood and each story he told was so vivid she could almost taste caramel apple he had gotten a tooth stuck in when he was six.

“He didn’t tell us you were related to that Commander Shepard,” Casimir grumbled, reluctantly accepting the plate from Wren.

“I didn’t think it was important,” Kaidan spoke up, locking his jaw. Wren glanced over Kaidan, trying to catch his eye. She wanted him to know she was fine. The news had done worse to her.

Maya placed her hand over Kaidan’s. “I know dear.”

The plates of food made their way all around the table before Wren decided to speak up again.

 “Well, let me see. What do you want to know about me?” Wren began, folding her hands away from the table and turning her body towards him.

“Kaidan told me you work with plants. Something about seed growth?” Maya interrupted, taking control of the situation.

Wren smiled at her. “Yes. That’s pretty much it. I’ve always loved plants. The uncle I stayed with for a few years didn’t like me too much because I dug up his rosebush to take root samples, but I stuck to it.”

Wren glanced at Kaidan’s father. A smile cracked across Casimir’s face, but he quickly hid it with his hand.

“I got into university on scholarship,” she continued. “I did everything short of getting a doctorate and then started work with Agrotech, but now I’m working on finalizing the information for another job.”

“Oh? And may I ask what that is?” Maya continued, scooping up a spoonful of mashed potatoes. Kaidan had barely touched his food, fork hovering above a slice of ham, and Casimir was aggressively pushing his potatoes and green beans into each other.

“A teacher actually. The University of Alliance Command is looking for a biology instructor and since that’s my field of expertise I accepted.” Kaidan dropped his fork. Casimir cleared his throat.

“The UAC in Vancouver?” Casimir asked. Wren nodded.

“What? That’s fantastic,” Kaidan bubbled, nearly jumping over the table. Wren laughed.

“If everything goes well, I’ll be settled into a university apartment by next week and Kaidan won’t waste a single shore leave visiting me instead of you.” She pointed deliberately at Casimir and winked. Mr. Alenko, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it, blushed. Wren was a charmer like her brother when she wanted to be. Kaidan sat back, mesmerized by how her face lit up when she spoke. “And I can come visit you both as well. If you’ll have me. I hear you have an orchard and I would be lying if I didn’t admit I wanted to see it.

“After you’ve settled, we’ll take a trip up there,” Maya said, sitting on the edge of her seat. Her light eyes twinkled with excitement. “Right, Cass dear?”

For a moment Casimir tried to pretend he didn’t hear his wife, but after everyone’s eyes had trained themselves on him, he sighed. “Of course, dear.”

 Wren laughed, placing a hand on Casimir’s. “Thank you. Kaidan told me how great you two were. I have not been disappointed.”

Casimir looked down at their hands and then met Wren’s gaze and for the first time that evening smiled, genuinely smiled.


	13. Shore Leave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter with smut and it's probably really bad. Please forgive me. I don't know how romance works. Also the title of this chapter is the same as another short fic I wrote because I am uncreative. #yolt

Her apartment was large compared to the Alliance regulated capsule home back on Horizon. It had two bedrooms, one converted into half office/half laboratory, and a living room with large windows that looked out on the streets of downtown Vancouver. Wren spent most of her mornings with a cup of tea cupped in her hands, and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she stared out the window towards the empty streets, moments before the bustle of early morning commute took over the silence.

It was a Friday. Normally she would be among the commuters, walking through the cool spring air towards the subway, and off to UAC. But today she had cleared her day—assigning a paper on seedless vascular plants the Wednesday before and dismissed the next class period.

Having Friday off meant she could spend the whole day with Kaidan before they made their way to his parents’ place for the weekend.

She took a sip of her tea, watching the first of the wayward commuters finding their way out into the world. It was nice standing in the quiet of her living room. She had slept well, even with the heavy snoring next to her ear, and she had woken early, turning off her alarm before it could wake her sleeping lover.

“Oh, there you are,” Kaidan stated groggily, making his presence known by shuffling his feet sleepily across the carpeted floor. “You weren’t there when I woke up.”

“You looked peaceful,” she responded, sensibly, leaning into his arms as he wrapped his arms around her waist and settled his chin on her shoulder. He sighed heavily, still half stuck in his dreams.

“Well, next time wake me,” he murmured, kissing her exposed neck. Wren laughed, wriggling out of his grasp and turning toward him.

“But what’s the fun in that,” she teased. “Besides you looked like you needed the sleep.” She moved from the living room to the small kitchen, setting her half full cup of tea on the counter. “Coffee?”

Kaidan grumbled. “No, I’ll do it,” he stated, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re horrible at making coffee.”

Wren frowned, brow creasing with offense, but she stepped away from the coffee press she’d bought just for him and grabbed her cup of tea again. She tugged at the blanket around her shoulders. Kaidan stood before her, bare shoulders hunched over the coffee press. She was keenly aware of how his pajama bottoms hung from his hips. The left side looked like had barely made it over his rump when he pulled them on this morning. Heat rose through her and she looked away, biting her lip.

Kaidan turned from his bubbling coffee. “What?” he asked, when he noticed her face concentrating fiercely at the space beside him. His dark hair was a mess and his face had red marks from the sheets, but he was a vision. She blinked over at him, face pink. “What?” he repeated with a grin.

Wren raised her eyebrow, looked at the edge of his pants. Kaidan looked down, chuckled and corrected the hem back over his hip. “You of all people shouldn’t judge,” he stated half defensively, remembering every morning he’d shared with her on Horizon.

Wren placed her cup aside, twisting her arm back into the warmth of the blanket wrapped about her. “I’m not judging.” She backed out of the kitchen slowly. “I just don’t understand why you went to the effort of getting dressed.” There was a pause. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “I didn’t even bother.”

She disappeared into the living room. Heat rose to his face as he realized what she was implying. He disregarded the coffee beside him and quickly moved to the living room. Wren stood giggling, lifting the blanket over her mouth.

“You can’t tease me that way, Wren,” he breathed, growing close to her.

“Oh?” she returned, moving the blanket from her mouth. He kissed her before she could cover her mouth again. She moaned against his mouth and he pressed harder, slipping his hands between the folds of the blanket. Her breath caught as he grazed his fingers across her bare skin.

Wren dropped the blanket and shivered. Kaidan pulled her against him, guiding her to the couch. He settled her down slowly, barely breaking his heated kisses. Wren glided her fingers down the back of his neck.

He kept one hand on the arm of the couch above Wren’s head as he worked his way out of his pants with the other.

Wren giggled. “Do you need some help soldier?” she teased, pressing her fingers between him and the edge of his pants. She caught him between her fingers and he instantly froze. She worked her hand over his rising heat as he whimpered by her ear. Her body tingled from the sound of his pleasure.

Kaidan nuzzled into her neck, arms shaking to hold him over her. “Wren…” he breathed. She hummed in response. He tried bracing himself better against the couch and shifted his weight to stop her hand. “Let me have you.”

Her body flushed with heat at his whispered words. She let him guide her hand away and settled against him as he found her and with a shared gasped, entered. He rocked his hips against her, placing heated kisses at the crook of her neck as he moved. She rolled her hips in rhythm to him, moaning between gasps of breath. She slid her cool fingers across his back and into his dark curls, anchoring herself against him as he pulsed inside her.

After a few moments of quaking pleasure, the heat of the moment came crashing down inside her. Wren moaned, body tightening around him. Kaidan released suddenly and curled around Wren, unable to keep himself up any longer.  He pressed his forehead against her shoulder, breathing hard. She twisted her fingers in his curls, humming softly.

“Marry me,” he whispered against her skin. Her fingers stopped. She breathed slowly, taking in one breath and letting it out in a long drawn out sigh.

“What?” she whispered, breaking the still between them.

Kaidan looked up. “Marry me, Wren Shepard. Let me have you like this for the rest of my days.”

This second breath stuck to Wren’s lungs as she tried to sit up. She pulled her arms over herself, covering her naked body from the cool air.

“I was going to be more romantic,” he whispered. “I was going to propose at the orchard tomorrow afternoon, but I just can’t wait. Wren, please marry me.”

She stared at him for a few moments. She looked wild, hair mused by sex and sleep, and her eyes were wide and bright with thought. “At least tell me you have a ring,” she nearly hissed, not liking the idea of being proposed to post coitus  since that usually didn’t mean planning or thought or…

Kaidan grinned at her, jumping up to get his pants back on before digging in the duffle bag he had left on the other side of the coffee table when he had gotten to the apartment the night before. He returned with a small red box. He popped it open to show a small silver band rimmed with shining diamonds. Wren’s vision blurred with tears.

“Took me two weeks to settle on a ring,” he began, pulling the ring from its box. “There were bigger ones but…I don’t know. I thought you’d like this one.” He looked up at her, eyes dancing. “So, what do yo—”

Before he could finish his statement, she was kissing him, hands cupping his face. “Yes,” she breathed, between kisses. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”

He slipped the ring on her finger before pushing her back onto the couch. This time he’d figured out a faster way to get out of his sleep pants.


	14. Forever and Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepard Alenko wedding for the ages. Or something like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written anything for this in like three months. I am so sorry. Omg. Also I forgot where I was going to go with this fic so this is gonna be a new adventure for all of us.

The news was buzzing again with the name Shepard. _Wren Shepard was marrying Major Kaidan Alenko._ The biggest question across the extranet wasn’t even about the wedding, but if Jayce Shepard, wanted criminal and savior of the galaxy, was going to attend.

“Do you think Commander Shepard is foolish enough to attend his sister’s wedding?” one of the guests asked the host of one of Wren’s least favorite news programs. The host frowned. “He’d be arrested before the ceremony even started.”

“I think,” started the other guest. She was Alliance military, hair pulled back and voice quiet. “I think Jayce Shepard would risk seeing his sister at least for this. I mean…” She blushed. Wren rolled her eyes. Another fan of her brother, thinking he was this dashing white knight. “…he’s just so caring.” The other guest was about to retort but the host cut him off.

“We will have to see if Commander Shepard does chance a visit to his sister,” the host began, full of authority and bravado. “As of right now, there has been no chatter at the Vancouver airport, no communication from the Alliance military or the police force indicating any movement towards the Shepard/Alenko wedding. As of right now, all signs point to Commander Shepard not attending his sister’s wedding. He might not even know it’s currently happening.” The host smiled smugly before signing off for commercial break.

Wren threw the remote at the television and watched it clatter to the floor. “I sent him an invitation. He knows,” she hissed at the shampoo commercial, slouching in her chair. She blew a strand of curled hair out of her face.

The news was getting to her again. There had been a lull after she had moved back to Earth. No one cared about Wren Shepard when they could run around space looking for Jayce Shepard. But then her wedding was announced. Three month engagement and an August wedding. They all said she was pregnant and more news programs spent time talking about how she’d wear her long dark hair than actually reporting any news. After a maddening interview with an afternoon talk show host, she had cut her hair to her chin—which made every style magazine scrabble for short wedding hair styles to plaster over their zines.

Kaidan had been a little surprised by the haircut, but he was more amused as to why she did it. He also found that he found her short, absurdly curly bedhead immensely attractive. Though he never told her that.

Wren sat up in her chair, fixing the jewel incrusted pin that kept her bangs in place. She pulled her Blasto shirt back into place and turned to her dress, hanging on the closet door. She had never been the girl to want to get married. When she was five she informed her brother that she would rather marry dirt than a boy and for most of her life that’s what it seemed like. She had devoted herself to dirt and plants, but mostly dirt. She had a few boyfriends that didn’t stay long. After a while boys avoided her because of her brother. And though, every girl she went to school with had gotten married, she still hadn’t felt the need.

But then she fell in love and the thought of marriage was amazing, but a wedding…that terrified her. She blinked, sniffing. Tears rimmed her eyes and she was trying her damnedest to keep them from falling and ruining her makeup. The fun of a wedding was lost on her. She had no parents. Her brother was a criminal. The last few living relatives she did have didn’t want to risk the journey to Earth. It was far away. They didn’t like the paparazzi. They didn’t like any of this. She was alone on her wedding day.

She had been grateful for Mr. Alenko for promising to walk her down the aisle. “I’m not your father,” he had said, “and I’m not your brother. But a pretty girl in a pretty dress deserves to be given away.” Which marked the sixth time she had cried that particular day and she wondered then if she actually was pregnant.

But she wasn’t and any weight gain the news picked up on was due to apple pies. She glanced at the clock beside the bed before she pushed up from the chair, pulled off her shirt, and carefully removed her wedding dress from the hanger. It slipped on with ease, square cut neckline lined with lace and short sleeves tight against her freckled arms. A blue sash cut across the waist then tied into a bow at her hip. The skirt fell to her knees and poofed out with tulle underneath. She would have itched like crazy if she hadn’t been wearing nylons.

Then came the difficult part, the part she always forgot to plan for. She had already told her friend, and Maid of Honor, Lissy that she would be fine dressing by herself. It wasn’t like there was a thousand buttons up the back.

There was only 12 and she was totally flexible enough to button them all.

There came a light knock from the bedroom door before it creaked open.

“I’ll be ready in a minute,” Wren called. “I just have to finish these buttons and—”

“Aren’t brides supposed to look graceful and elegant on their wedding day?” came a familiar voice, followed by the same familiar chuckle. Wren turned, arms weirdly angled backwards and body hunched forward. She looked like a bird caught in the wind. Jayce stood there in the doorway, dressed in his Alliance blues and as handsome as he had been when he had come visited her for her graduation.

Dropping her arms to her sides, Wren opened her mouth to retort, but instead she started to cry again, for the umpteenth time this month, this week, this day. Jayce rushed forward, scooping his sister up in a hug.

“You’re an idiot,” she sobbed into his shoulder.

“I know.”

“You’re going to get arrested. You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

She sniffed, slowly wrapping her arms around her brother.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, pulling away to look at her brother. Her face was already blotchy but the mascara had held strong.

“Hey, you were the one who sent the invitation,” he laughed.

Wren frowned, taking a half step back. “You weren’t supposed to answer it and come all the way to Earth and—”

“I couldn’t leave my sister to get married without me walking her down the aisle, even if it’s to Alenko. That smug bastard waiting till I was dead to run off with my sister.”

Wren barked out a laugh, sniffing. “I love you, big brother,” she breathed, gently wiping a tear off her cheek.

“I love you, too, little bird.”

It was funny how quick Wren had forgotten everything that had transpired between her and Jayce. He was all she had for family. No matter how idiotic he was, no matter how many times he had gotten himself in trouble, he was always there when she truly needed him to be. Like on her wedding day, when she realized 12 buttons were too many for her to button.

***

Wren was at least 60% sure Jayce had decided to risk being arrested and thrown in jail by the Alliance just to see the look on everyone’s faces as he walked her down the aisle. Kaidan’s father even laughed when he shook Jayce’s hand.

Kaidan stood under a canopy of apple trees while their two dozen guests sat listlessly. When the music started, the wind picked up. Kaidan stood a little taller in his Navy blues. Lissy, dressed in the same light blue as Wren’s sash, beamed at Wren as she rounded the corner. Wren’s arm was interlaced with her brother’s and she gripped the bouquet of white roses just a little too hard.

When her eyes met Kaidan’s from under the thin veil, she could see the confusion in his eyes before his face split into a grin that didn’t fade for the whole minute march up to him.

“Take care of my sister, would you?” Jayce whispered after slipping Wren’s hand into Kaidan’s.

“Yes, sir.”

They turned to take their vows. Something they had rehearsed at least a dozen times in Wren’s campus apartment. Every rehearsal had been fit with giggles and the taste of wine, but this time was serious. This time was real.

Kaidan kissed her gently, sealing the vows in place.

“I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Kaidan Alenko,” called the officiant and the crowd of attendees clapped. Jayce whistled and shouted.

Wren slipped her hands from Kaidan’s and went to hug her brother. Kaidan chuckled.

“Commander Jayce Shepard,” called a stern voice from behind the guests. Everyone turned. Wren kept her arms tightly around Jayce. Six Alliance officers stood in the middle of the orchard. Two held guns at the ready. “You are under arrest.”

“Shit,” both Wren and Jayce whispered.

Jayce shrugged his sister out of a hug, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered, “I’m proud of you,” before walking, hands up, towards the officers.

“Shit,” Wren repeated. This was all her fault.


End file.
